TIRANA – Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Saturday reiterated the governing coalition’s readiness to dialogue with the opposition as he signed a petition launched by a number of civil society organizations, calling for swift implementation of the vetting law and the start of judicial reform that will allow Albania to make a further step towards opening the membership talks with the European Union, ATA reports.
Speaking to reporters after signing the petition, PM Rama said “this civil society’s initiative enjoys full and powerful support of the ruling Socialist Party, because the vetting law will free the country’s justice system from the dictatorship of corruption and criminality.”
“It is a de facto dictatorship that has inflicted many victims over these 25 years, but such dictatorship will meet its end thanks to this transforming and state formation reform, which will be implemented through the vetting process and will draw a dividing line between the past and the future, the corrupt judges and prosecutors and those of great integrity, professionalism and courage to bring a new era of a new justice and equality before the law in this country,” Rama said.
The PM said that the overhaul of the justice system is designed not only to clean the judiciary from the corrupt and incriminated people, but also to bring a fresh impetus to the country’s economy, employment and economic development.
The government head reminded that during her visit to Tirana a day ago the European Union’s High Representative Federica Mogherini clearly stated that implementation of the vetting law will mark the opening of the accession talks with the EU.
Asked about a proposed dialogue with the opposition, Rama said: “We have nothing to negotiate, but we have a lot of things to discuss with the opposition.”
“If the opposition is really interested in the highest election standards we are ready to consider their proposals. We are also ready to talk about anything else,” he said.